Asthma

Asthma is a condition where the muscles around the walls of the airways contract and become inflamed, when a sufferer with comes into contact with a particular irritant. This reaction makes it difficult to breathe in and out. Sometimes phlegm can build up further narrowing the airways.

People with asthma often complain of shortness of breath and wheezing, which are often worse at night time. They can also suffer “asthma attacks”, a severe and sudden worsening of their symptoms. Although there is no cure for asthma, if taken appropriately, various medicines, both inhalers and tablets, can help you to control your asthma so that is does not interfere with your daily life.

Physiotherapy can help you to manage your asthma by

• Ensuring you know what medicines to take, how to take them and when to take them,
• Advising you what to do if your symptoms get worse, and by helping you to control your symptoms. i.e. an asthma management plan,
• Teaching you breathing exercises to clear your chest of phlegm or to control breathlessness,
• Improve your fitness and educate you as to the use of pacing strategies,
• Provide general lifestyle advice,
• Provide smoking cessation support if required,
• Educate you about your lung condition,
• Raise your awareness of disease specific support group
• Ensure you are aware of how best to protect yourself from infections.

If your asthma is under control you are more likely to have a better quality of life and be more able to do the things you want to.

At your first appointment our clinicians will take a careful history from you, perform a comprehensive clinical assessment, and couple this with state of the art diagnostic procedures, including spirometry and blood oxygen check, to accurately diagnose your lung problem. They will then explain the results of the assessment, and provide you with a treatment programme suited to your specific needs. The physiotherapist will provide individually tailored treatment and ensure you are able to self-manage your condition. Any treatment will be recommended in line with the most recent National Clinical Guidelines for the management of asthma, Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) in 2009.There will be time available for you to ask questions. It is possible for a written report to be sent to your GP or Consultant on request. Follow up appointments can be made as often as required which is determined on an individual basis.